Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the minister of education has announced plans by government to introduce a new National Standardised Test to evaluate learning outcomes at the primary school level.
Addressing journalists in Accra on Sunday 6 June, the education minister said the initiative will be administered for the first time this year with Primary Four students nationwide.
“Our Human Capital Index in 0.44, so that is why the President (Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo) says transform the space, so transforming of the space means that all fourth graders (Primary Four students) this year are going to be tested across the length and breadth of this country, every one of them,” he said.
Dr Adutwum added: “So that we will see the challenges that are confronting us as a nation and then we will give them one year during the fifth grade or primary five to do intervention. We will test them again in primary six, the following year, we are even going to begin from primary two…”.
Expenditure on Free SHS
As part of the initiative, parents will receive web-based reports on mathematics and literacy to facilitate monitoring of their wards’ progresss.
On Free SHS, Dr Adutwum said government has so far spent over GHC 7 billion on the implementation of the flagship education programme since 2017.
“In 2017 we spent 480 million cedis. In 2018 GHC 1,137,861, 816. In 2019 1,682, 641, 924 and the following year there will be adjustment because of the COVID 19 but the actual budget was 2, 429, 257, 748 which would be revised because of the COVID 19 and the academic year changes. And this year it is 1,174,021, 968,” he said.
He added: “In all we have spent to date GHC 7,703, 783, 456 and that is the data that was given to me by my Chief Director.”
Fred Dzakpata
Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online
Follow us on Twitter: @asaaseradio995
#AsaaseRadio
#TheVoiceofOurLand
#GreenGhana
#WeLoveOurLand
